The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has intensified efforts to curb attacks on power infrastructure by engaging residents of host communities in Ebonyi State on the need to protect electricity transmission installations.
In a press statement signed by the General Manager, Public Affairs, Ndidi Mbah, TCN said the sensitisation exercise, held in the Umuhuali, Ezillo and Nkalagu communities of Ebonyi State, was aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of vandalism, encroachment on transmission corridors and other activities that threaten the nation’s power transmission infrastructure.
Addressing community members, the General Manager (Transmission), Enugu Region, Dr. Thomas Inugonum, said the initiative was designed to strengthen cooperation between TCN and communities where critical transmission infrastructure is located.
He warned against vandalising 330kV and 132kV transmission lines, constructing buildings within the company’s Right of Way (RoW), excavating around transmission tower foundations, farming or living beneath high-voltage lines, and burning refuse under power installations.
According to him, similar community engagement programmes carried out in parts of Benue and Enugu states have helped reduce threats to transmission facilities, expressing optimism that the campaign in Ebonyi would produce similar results.
Dr. Inugonum cited recent incidents in the state, including the electrocution of a suspected vandal while attempting to tamper with Tower 34 on the Nkalagu-Abakaliki 132kV transmission line in Ezillo. He also revealed that local youths and security operatives arrested two suspected vandals on May 9 after they allegedly removed components from Towers 15, 16 and 17 along the same transmission line.
He decried the increasing theft of transmission tower components, noting that equipment worth millions of naira is often dismantled and sold cheaply to illegal scrap dealers, with far-reaching consequences for the nation’s electricity network.
The TCN official appealed to residents to remain vigilant, collaborate with security agencies and promptly report suspicious activities around power installations to prevent further attacks on the national grid.
During a courtesy visit by the TCN delegation, the traditional ruler of Umuhuali Autonomous Community, HRH Eze Patrick Nwafor Udoku, assured the company of the community’s commitment to protecting electricity infrastructure and preventing encroachment on transmission corridors.
Also speaking, the President General of Ezza Umuhuali Town Union, Hon. Solomon Nweke, commended local vigilantes and community leaders for their role in the recent arrest of suspected vandals. He described the destruction of power infrastructure as an attack on the nation’s economy and called for sustained collaboration between TCN, host communities and security agencies.
Representatives of the participating communities pledged continued support for TCN’s efforts to secure transmission facilities and ensure uninterrupted electricity supply.
